A coastal province in eastern China with a developed economy and world cultural heritage sites such as West Lake. ...
Hangzhou City, referred to as "Hangzhou", was formerly known as Lin'an, Qiantang, and Wulin. It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. It is a city in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta [160] and a global financial technology center [162-164]. As of the end of 2024, Hangzhou City has 10 districts, 2 counties, and administers 1 county-level city, with a total area of 16,850 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Hangzhou City is 12.624 million. [170] Hangzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The terrain of the city gradually decreases from west to east, with low mountains and hills, river valley basins, and accumulation plains. [140] [143] After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it established a county seat at the foot of Lingyin Mountain, called Qiantang. In 589, Qiantang County was abolished and Hangzhou was established. The name Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. In 1912, the former Qiantang and Renhe counties were merged into Hangzhou County. In 1927, Hangzhou City was established by dividing the urban area of Hangzhou County and other areas. [144] Hangzhou City is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national digital economy innovation center and a regional science and technology innovation highland, an advanced manufacturing base, an eastern modern service industry center, and an international tourist destination. [1] [147] Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth" for its beautiful scenery, represented by the West Lake culture, Qiantang River culture, and canal culture. [145] The excavation of the Kuahuqiao site in Hangzhou City shows that humans have lived and multiplied here as early as more than 8,000 years ago. The Liangzhu culture, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is known as the "dawn of Chinese civilization." Hangzhou City is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and is known as the "famous county in the southeast." The Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty established their capitals in Hangzhou. [144] In 2024, Hangzhou's GDP will reach RMB 2,186 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%.
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang Province, China, located in the southeastern part of Zhejiang Province. The city borders the East China Sea to the east and covers a land area of 12,102.65 square kilometers with a coastline of 514 kilometers. As of 2024, Wenzhou has a permanent population of 9.852 million. The city has over 2,000 years of history and is an important regional center city in southeastern China, known as a national demonstration city for private economy and a comprehensive transportation hub city.
Zhoushan City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is the first prefecture-level city in China established with archipelago system. Zhoushan is located at the intersection of China's eastern golden coastline and the Yangtze River golden waterway, and is China's largest archipelago and an important port city.
Jinhua City, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province, is located in the central part of Zhejiang Province. It is adjacent to Taizhou City in the east, Lishui City in the south, Quzhou City in the west, and Shaoxing City and Hangzhou City in the north. It belongs to the hilly basin area of central Zhejiang Province, with high terrain in the north and south and low terrain in the middle. It has a mid-subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, moderate annual temperature, abundant heat, and heavy rainfall. The total area is 10,942 square kilometers. [2] [33] As of the end of 2023, Jinhua City has jurisdiction over 2 districts, 3 counties, and administers 4 county-level cities. [5] As of the end of 2024, Jinhua City has a permanent population of 7.209 million. [101] Jinhua City is a central city in central and western Zhejiang Province, a national historical and cultural city, an inland open national comprehensive transportation hub city, an important innovative smart manufacturing city in the Yangtze River Delta region, an important growth pole in the southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta, and an inland open hub center city. [1] Jinhua (Wushang County) has been established for more than 2,200 years. It was originally part of the Yue Kingdom and was incorporated into Kuaiji County during the Qin Dynasty. It was named because it was "located where the two stars Venus and Wu Nu compete for brilliance". Since the establishment of Dongyang County in the first year of the Wu Baoding Period (266 AD) during the Three Kingdoms Period, it has a history of more than 1,800 years and a splendid culture. It is a national historical and cultural city. [2] [11] Jinhua City is known as "a historical and cultural state, a place where celebrities gather, a city with flourishing literary style, and a beautiful hometown with clear waters and beautiful mountains". [2] Scenic spots in the city include the national scenic area Shuanglong Cave and Huang Daxian Ancestral Temple. On October 1, 1949, seven outstanding Jinhua people, including Chen Wangdao, Shi Fuliang, Feng Xuefeng, Yan Jici, Wu Han, Qian Jiaju and Ai Qing, went up to the Tiananmen Gate Tower together with Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other founding leaders to participate in and witness the birth of New China. [104]
Ningbo, abbreviated as "Yong", is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, and a state-planned city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province [127]. It was formerly known as Siming and Mingzhou [234]. It is located in the northeastern coastal area of Zhejiang Province [188]. The terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. It is mainly plains and low mountains and hills. It has a subtropical monsoon climate [201]. As of the end of 2024, Ningbo has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 2 counties, and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 9,816 square kilometers and a permanent population of 9.777 million [75] [229] [231]. Ningbo is a national historical and cultural city [1] and the cultural capital of East Asia. It has prospered because of its port since ancient times. It is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and one of the earliest cities in China to open ports [203]. It gave birth to the Siming School, Yangming School, and Zhejiang School. Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing library in Asia [192] [236]. The Ningbo Gang is the largest business gang in modern China [198]. The number of Ningbo-born academicians ranks first in the country [195-196]. Ningbo's history can be traced back to the Hemudu culture 7,000 years ago. The Jingtoushan site pushes the history of Ningbo's humanities back to more than 8,000 years ago. In the first year of the Changqing period of the Tang Dynasty (821), the Mingzhou prefecture was moved to Sanjiangkou and a sub-city was built, marking the beginning of the construction of Ningbo. In the 14th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1381), it was renamed Ningbo, which means "when the sea is calm, the waves are calm" [202]. Ningbo is an important central city in the Yangtze River Delta region, a modern marine city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing base, a regional science and technology innovation highland, a national shipping and logistics center, an important node city for the "Belt and Road" port and shipping cooperation [1], an important member of the Shanghai metropolitan area [131], the first National Civilized City [239], the first pilot demonstration city of Made in China 2025 [110], and has the world's third largest container port and the world's largest port in terms of cargo throughput, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port [205]. Ningbo has formed a modern industrial system dominated by digital industries, green petrochemicals, and high-end equipment, with new functional materials, new energy, key basic components, smart home appliances, fashion textiles and clothing, and modern health as its features, as well as a number of emerging and future industrial clusters with forward-looking layout [235]. In 2024, Ningbo's GDP will be 1,814.77 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.